Photos by @NikkiSneakers
Following months of speculation, uncertainty and eventual hope for a reopening, New York's beloved Saint Vitus Bar has officially closed it's doors for good.
The venue was home to unforgettable nights immortalized with intimate sets from Megadeth, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Coheed and Cambria, Anthrax, Killing Joke and the legendary 2014 Nirvana Hall of Fame afterparty with Dave Grohl, Joan Jett, Kim Gordon and more. In addition, the venue was a mandatory stop for many emerging artists, especially in the hardcore, punk and metal orbit.
Back in February, the New York Department of Buildings shut down the venue in the middle of packed Mindforce set, citing lapses in codes that allowed the venue to operate. In the subsequent months, the venue was shuddered as operators Arty Shepherd, George Souleidis and David Castillo worked to find a solution.
While Saint Vitus Bar was able to host shows as a presenting name at various other venues, time continued to pass with the stage still silent at 1120 Manhattan Ave.
In a recent post from the venue's social media accounts, Shepherd, Souleidis and Castillo memorialized the venue, confirming the disheartening news - Saint Vitus was closed for good.
“1120 Manhattan Ave. 2011-2024 — to be continued… Thank you to everyone who was a part of it. 🍻 Love and Hails, Arty, George, David”
While the post provided some unfortunate finality to the ordeal, there is some optimism about the future with the inclusion of a "to be continued" in the phrasing.
The legacy and importance of the venue was framed in the book, "Saint Vitus Bar: The First Ten Years, An Oral and Visual History.”
